My personal belief is that educated decisions are typically better decisions. That’s why we do our radio show and our free workshops all around town. Often pepole call us and tell us they need a Will but what they need is an estate plan. We tell them that there are some other documents or ‘tools’ that they may want to consider too as a Will is not enough. If you want to learn more about your options and understand how to put together a really good estate plan, visit sechlerlawfirm.com/workshops and register for a workshop near you today.
We talk about wills and trusts and the other documents or ‘tools’ that you will likely need. Given the importance of revocable trust and irrevocable trusts, we explain how trusts will protect your assets against taxes and long term care expenses. You are better able to understand your options by the time you complete our workshops with our law firm.
Why Do We Have Memorial Day?
We all have recently enjoyed Memorial Day weekend, which is the unofficial kickoff of summer. For most people, Memorial Day is a day where we can have fun together with friends and family, while enjoying good weather. People tend to recognize that Memorial Day is an extension of the Fourth of July and Veterans Day to honor fallen soldiers, airmen and marines who have lost their lives.
As a veteran who has served the country overseas, I am perhaps more sensitive to what Memorial Day really means. Despite all the conflict and dysfunction we have going on around us, we still live in a great country. The reason that we have such liberties is due to the sacrifices our soldiers have made. Without these sacrifices, our families wouldn’t be able to enjoy the lifestyle and freedom that we do.
You may not be familiar with who Jocko Willink is, but he is a former Special Forces soldier, and also a thought leader. He’s written some books where he shares lessons learned in leading troops, to teach leadership principles in the civilian world. One of his popular books called, “Extreme Ownership”, is one of the best business books I’ve read. He also has a recording “Remember Me”, which my children listen to every Memorial Day weekend. I think it’s important to take the time to talk with our families about what soldiers and other servicemen have sacrificed.
A Valuable Gift
I have an old ’45 Smith and Wesson revolver, which is inoperable, and which I keep in a case in my office. This particular revolver means a lot to me, since it was a gift from my great Uncle.
It reminds me that bad days in my law firm are really not bad, while emphasising the value of teamwork. Included with the revolver is a card with the story of my great grandfather, Harry Miller who was with his battalion during World War I.
The battalion was disarming a town in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. My grandfather entered a small hut where he found a frail old man lying on a cot. He asked the man if he had any guns, and the old man said he didn’t. Harry turned to leave the hut, and when his back was turned, the old man pulled out a revolver to shoot Harry. As it happened, Harry’s partner came in through another door at the same time, saw what was happening, and managed to shoot the old man. Fortunately my grandfather was not shot, and he retrieved the old man’s revolver, to bring home. It was passed through the family to me, and I am so grateful for what my great uncle did, by taking the time to type out the story on this card.
Create A Digital Legacy
The realization of how fragile life is, and how things can change so quickly brings me to say that if you have stories about your life, you really should share them. If there are stories that are important in your family, write those stories down. Better still, type the story into an electronic document that can be passed on. We live in a time when you can record your stories in a digital format on your cell phone. These stories can be audio or video, and they will not get brown or brittle, and they won’t fade away. Provided there is electricity there will always be a device that can play an mp4 file or an mp3 file because it’s all digital. We no longer need to worry about VHS tapes or DVD’s.
It used to be the case that people had photo albums, but now our photos and videos are on our phones. Since our phones are password protected, our images and videos should be stored on a cloud. In this way, family members and future generations can cherish the videos and photos. If you have senior family members, we encourage you to record them telling their stories.
Join Our Red Wagon Club
In our Red Wagon Club, we provide monthly education sessions. One of these is our Digital Legacy Workshop, hosted by my wife Robyn. She teaches a class where she encourages you to tell your stories and preserve memories. While the first video recording is uncomfortable, you soon get used to it. You don’t need to record hours of video in one sitting – even two minutes at a time is enough. Don’t miss that opportunity to record these cherished possessions. Start today! If you are interested in joining our Red Wagon Club, email redwagonclub@sechlerlawfirm.com for more information.
